May nothing but death do us part
by windyrat
Summary: Carl and Clementine struggle to survive in the new, corrupted world of the walkers. It proves difficult, as most people disregard Carl, and fear Clementine. Carl is emotional, while Clementine is slightly aggressive and distrusting. What will happen when they meet? Will they see past each other's facades?
1. Chapter 1

"NO! We're all leaving! Together!" Clementine cried.

"Sounds like she means business." Edith, the woman looking down at them said. She had white, fluffy earmuffs on her ears due to the cold and a jacket that was half grey- half brown. Her hair was brown and tied into a pony tail. She had a white shirt on underneath her jacket, along with some casual blue-jeans.

"Yeah, I know..." Kenny muttered. Kenny had a green, hood-less jacket on along with a cream-colored shirt underneath. He was wearing blue jeans as well. His hair was was grey, and he had a thick beard lining his jaw-bone, along with a mustache that connected to the beard. He was wearing an orange hat with a square of white above the cap. There was a bandages over his left eye, as it'd been beaten badly by a madman named Carver.

"Clementine- please-" Kenny tried again.

"NO! Stop, just stop!" She cried, her voice high and shaky. Edith dropped another bag of supplies down to them.

"I know i'm only supposed to give one bag out per group, but... If you're still around, try coming back in a couple of weeks?" Edith said.

Clementine picked up a bag, turning to Kenny, who shook his head. "You're as stubborn as a damn mule..." He said.

"Yeah? I wonder where I get it from." Clementine said, smiling a bit. Kenny smiled and shook his head.

"If you don't want to stay in the cold that long, though, there are communities to the east and west!" Edith said. Kenny looked up.

"Thanks!" He called.

Clementine looked down at the bag, then at the bundle of warmth that lay in her arms- AJ. Alvin Jr. His parents had died, and now it was up to Clementine and Kenny to take care of him.

The two of them turned and walked away from Wellington together. As a family.

Later that night, they set up camp in the place they'd been previously; at a small abandoned gas station. Kenny opened one of the bags to see that they'd packed medical supplies, water, food, and even some ammo. "Oh, man, Clem! Those sunsa bitches got all KINDS of great stuff!" Kenny exclaimed. Clementine looked over.

"Is there any formula?" She asked.

Kenny rifled through the bag, frowning, then got a huge grin. "Hell yeah, there is! There's lotsa stuff in here, and plenty of formula in this one!" Kenny exclaimed, pulling out another can of something.

"A can of fuckin' sweet peas? Oh man, I hadn't had sweet peas in a long time!" Kenny exclaimed. Clementine's expression became a bit down.

"Sweet peas...?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah. I-...oh, shit." Kenny said, his voice dropping instantly when he remembered. "That's what Lee used to call you, isn't it? Sweet pea?" Kenny asked. Clementine gulped and nodded. "Shit... i'm sorry." Kenny said.

"It's... fine. What else is in there?" Clementine asked, going back to the previous subject. Kenny looked down and rifled through.

"Peaches... beans... green beans... corn... canned chili, hell yeah!... soups... bread... peanut butter... jelly... oh, fuck yeah!" Kenny exclaimed, grinning hugely. Clementine smiled.

"Good thing i'm not allergic to peanuts." She commented.

"Yeah, me neither... hadn't had peanut butter in forever! Katjaa had this recipe of peanut butter fudge, and it was so damn good... it'd be gone as soon as it was ready! She always had to make lots of it. It was always a special treat for Duck and I, herself also. If only they were still here..." Kenny said, sighing and shaking his head.

"I... never found out what happened to Katjaa... so if you don't mind me asking... what happened...?" Clementine asked softly, her voice small and slightly nervous.

"She couldn't handle leaving our son, and she... took herself out. I'm not mad at her, I forgive her, but you don't just... end it. There are others out there for you, and they'll help you get through it... just like you and Lee did." Kenny whispered, smiling at Clementine.

"Y'know, Christa told me that you'd died, so I just assumed i'd never see you again, but... here you are." Clementine said, smiling softly.

"What exactly happened to those two? Omid and Christa?" Kenny asked, beginning to get some formula ready for AJ. "Well... after Savannah, we kept travelling, y'know, and there was this pit-stop that we took a break at. I went in to clean myself up, and this scavenger came in and tried to steal my stuff... Omid came in, and the door closed and she shot him in the chest. Christa killed her, and... things just weren't the same."

"Whatever happened to her baby?" Kenny asked. Clementine's expression became sad and concerned and she glanced away quickly.

"It- it just-"

"Hey, hey, it's alright... Katjaa's sister had a stillborn. Well, it was either still born or a miscarriage... but the point is that it happens. We're lucky that little AJ here is alive." Kenny said, smiling down at AJ. Clementine smiled also. "We'll take good care of him for Alvin and Rebecca." Clementine said.

"Yeah... They're good people. We owe it to them to make sure that AJ is as good as them, if not better." Kenny said. Clementine crawled over to the two of them and smiled down at AJ.

"He's already perfect." She said. Kenny smiled at Clementine.

"You're like a mama to him- you're lovin', carin', and all at your age. I'm gonna teach you two everything I know. Teach you to drive, how to fish... it'll be great." Kenny said softly, feeding the formula to AJ.

Clementine smiled, grabbing a can of peaches and opening it with her pocket knife. She used her knife as a fork, lifting peaches into her mouth and eating them happily.

The moon's light illuminated the three of them there as they sat in comfortable silence, enjoying some food, clean water, and peace. When Clementine finished her food, she set the can down and wiped her knife off, then put it into her shoe, lying down on the cold, hard floor. Kenny set AJ down between him and Clementine, then lied down himself, and with that, the three of them fell into a black, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, the three of them got their stuff together and set out, going back in the direction they'd come from. "I say we head south." Kenny commented, peering at the sun. "Be like summer everyday! I remember, all those tourists getting sunburned! Heh... funny as hell. You ever been to Florida, Clem?" Kenny asked.

"No. I've heard it's really moist and hot down there." She replied.

"It's true! One time, I was on a fishin' trip, and it was just scorchin' that day! Tried to cool myself off by takin' my hat off, but all THAT did was get me sunburned." Kenny said.

"I hate being sunburned..." Clementine muttered, frowning.

"Yeah, it's annoyin' as hell and makes you feel hot all the time." Kenny agreed.

"You think we'll find boats in Florida?" Clementine asked.

"I don't know... and if we have to search, we can always visit an outdoors store. Those kinda places tend to have boats. We could also get some bait... That'd be great, although it's probably disgusting as hell by now." Kenny said chuckling.

"What kind of fish did you catch?" Clementine asked, becoming curious. "Mackerel, Tuna, shark, whatever was bitin' and payin'. I was damn good, also." Kenny said, smirking to himself.

Clementine smiled and shook her head.

"There was this other time I was fishin'- Kat, Duck and other family members were there- and this fuckin' swordfish jumped outta the water and into the boat! Had to wrestle that sucker! It paid well though, so it was worth it." Kenny said.

For the rest of the day, Kenny and Clementine exchanged stories until nighttime came. They set up camp, ate, and slept.

The next few days had been the same; they exchanged stories, took breaks, ate, drank, and slept. Eventually, things became boring, and so, when they traveled, it was silent, unless AJ cried or anything.

They didn't normally have problems with AJ crying, however; he was normally very silent. The time seemed to pass by quickly, and in that time, Clementine had developed lots, and AJ had grown into a cute little toddler.

They drove in a car, heading south. "Alright, you're doing good... now, just stay on the rood. Most important rule there is." Kenny said, smiling a bit. Clementine smiled at Kenny.

"I really appreciate you teaching me." She said, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Oh, it's no problem. Y'know, I always dreamed of the day i'd teach Duck to drive... you're the best second chance I could ask for." Kenny said, smiling at Clementine sincerely. Clementine glanced at him, smiling.

"Yeah, we get down to Florida, we ditch the wheels and i'll make a sailor outta ya!" Kenny said. He leaned over, looking back at AJ, who was buckled up. "You too, buddy!" He said. AJ didn't respond, merely played with his foot.

Kenny frowned and faced forward again. "I just... can't get him to talk. Duck was gabbin' a mile minute at his age. It wasn't full sentences, but it was somethin'." Kenny said. Clementine frowned.

"I'm sure he's fine..." She said. Kenny sighed.

"I'm sure he is. I can't help but to worry, though." Kenny said.

"Is going to Florida a good idea?" Clementine asked Kenny, trying to change the subject. "Yea! Be like summer everyday. Hell, ima have to find me some shorts!" Kenny said, smiling. Clementine smiled, shaking her head a bit.

"Probably half to find you a light shirt, some leggings." Kenny said. He looked back at AJ, smiling. "Find him some cute clothes." He said.

"CRAP!" Clementine exclaimed, swerving to avoid some walkers standing in the street.

"FUCK!" Kenny exclaimed, quickly buckling up. Clementine sped past them, going extremely fast on the road. Her heart raced, and she slowly eased her foot off the gas. The car slowed down, and eventually, it stopped. AJ was crying, and Kenny and Clementine were frozen. Clementine looked as though she'd seen a ghost, absolutely frozen and gripping the wheel tightly, while Kenny quickly turned around, looking at AJ.

"AJ?! Oh, thank god you're okay!" He exclaimed. He faced forward again, letting out a breath, before looking at Clementine, who was still frozen, wide-eyed, gripping the wheel tightly.

"Jesus, Clem, you look like you've seen a ghost." Kenny said. Clementine blinked, her eyes coming into focus. She relaxed a bit, letting out a breath.

"I thought we were going to die!" She exclaimed.

"No, I think you saved us, actually." Kenny said. "Although, swerving isn't the best idea... But again, neither is slamming on the brakes." He said. Clementine let out a faint chuckle before slowly driving again.

"If everything were normal, I wouldn't have to worry about walkers..." Clementine muttered.

"Those were good reflexes, Clem. Must be instinct now since you're small and have to outwit people. You ever used size to your advantage?" Kenny asked.

"Yep. I use the environment and my wits." Clementine said, smiling a bit.

After a while, Kenny and Clementine drove through a neighborhood. "Hmm... let's stop. We need to find more supplies." Kenny commented.

"Alright..." Clementine said, carefully pulling the car over and parking along the curb.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, I'll scavenge the kitchen, you get the bedrooms, alright?" Kenny said as they approached the house. Clementine nodded in understanding. Kenny turned and tried the door. It opened. He pulled an axe out while Clementine pulled a screwdriver out and went down a hall to the left. AJ was on her back thanks to something Clementine didn't know the name of- it allowed her to carry AJ on her back with ease, as he didn't weigh much and Clementine was accustomed to his weight by now.

Clementine raised her screwdriver once she got to a door, then opened it- there was nothing. AJ looked around Clementine's head curiously, looking around at the room. There was a small bed, along with toys scattered here and there. Nothing of use. Clementine smiled and kneeled down, picking up a small stuffed toy- a tiny stuffed cat.

"Hey, goofball, you want a toy?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at AJ. She held it up over her shoulder and AJ grabbed it, a happy squeal coming from him. Clementine turned and left the room, feeling AJ hug the little stuffed animal. "It's a kitty cat." Clementine said, smiling. She went to another door, getting her screwdriver ready. She opened the door quickly, but again, there was no one there. She pursed her lips and stepped into the room. It was a bathroom. She opened the cabinets. They were all empty. "Darn..." She muttered.

Clementine sighed, turning around, only for her blood to run cold when she saw a man with a crossbow pointed at her. She froze, unsure of what to do.

AJ continued to play with his toy, oblivious.

"He your brother?" The man asked in a gruff voice.

"Adoptive son..." Clementine replied, gripping her screwdriver tightly.

"Drop you screwdriver." He demanded.

Clementine sighed. If she didn't do what he said...

She tossed it towards him, frowning. He stepped forward, picking it up. He lowered his crossbow. "C'mon, kid. Your friend is outside with somma my friends." He said.

"Kenny..." Clementine whispered, following the man. He was wearing a sleeveless leather jacket, along with a dark grey polo underneath that. He turned, and Clementine saw that there were angel wings on the back of his leather jacket. He was also wearing torn brown pants.

When they got outside, Clementine saw Kenny with his arms crossed, obviously tensed and speaking to two others- a man wearing a light-brown button up polo. There were two chest pockets buttoned closed with white buttons; he had short, brown hair and tanned skin, probably from being outside. He was wearing a silver watch on his left wrist, along with black jeans. He had a gun holstered on his right hip.

The other man had black skin; he had a full, black beard and mustache that rivaled Kenny's; he wore a dark blue beanie, along with a white, semi-long sleeve shirt and black pants. He had a shotgun hoisted over his shoulder, and a bag hanging down from his other one. "Ey, Rick!" The crossbow man called.

The polo man turned and looked at the two of them, then his gaze flickered over to Clementine, who ran over to Kenny and hugged him. She pulled away and looked back at the three other people. "We're sorry if we scared you... we were on a run and saw y'all, and thought y'all could use some help." The polo man said. "Name's Rick." He said.

"I'm Tyreese." The beanie man said.

"Daryl." He said, jerking his head up in greeting.

Kenny remained tense. Clementine spoke up, "I'm... Clementine. This is Kenny-" She said, gesturing to Kenny- "and this is AJ." Clementine said, looking over her shoulder.

"He your brother?" Rick asked. "He's my adoptive son..." Clementine said. Kenny smiled slightly.

Rick nodded. "You said you guys had a community?" Kenny interjected.

"Yeah. A prison." Rick answered.

"Real charming." Kenny said sarcastically, crossing his arms.

"Kenny!" Clementine hissed quietly, glaring at him. He sighed.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Anyways... if you want to come, you have to answer some questions correctly." Rick continued.

"Which ones?" Kenny asked monotonously.

"First, how many walkers have you killed?"

"I think I speak for both Clementine and I when I say, I have no idea." Kenny said.

"How many people?" Daryl asked. "Four." Kenny replied. Clementine gulped, looking down at her shoes.

"...Two."

"Why?"

"Well, one was turning, the other one was trying to hurt my friend, one was a madman who kept me and many others prisoner, and the last one... she almost got AJ killed by leaving him in a car during a snowstorm." Kenny replied. The others all looked at Clementine expectantly.

"One of them was trying to kill my friend... and I had to put down that friend because he was bitten." Clementine said softly.

Kenny's expression softened. Tyreese' expression became extremely concerned, while Daryl's remained neutral. Rick looked down at the ground before answering, "You guys are welcome to come if you want."

"Clem, this place could be our saving grace!" Kenny said, turning to her.

"I thought you wanted to try and find a boat." Clementine replied, frowning a bit.

"We can always do that later. And again, this place could be life or death. Imagine, thick prison walls and prison fences to keep the walkers out!" Kenny said, smiling. Clementine sighed, crossing her arms.

"Alright, if you want to go."

"Who knows, there might be other kids your age." Kenny added. Kenny looked at the three of them. "Yeah, we'll come." He said. Daryl looked at Rick while Tyreese smirked a bit.

"It's always good to have good people come." He said.

Kenny scoffed. "I'm far from good." He said.

"Better than Jane." Clementine commented. Kenny rolled his eyes.

"That woman was crazy... AJ coulda frozen to death!" Kenny muttered.

With that, the six of them left, going to find the prison.

"C'mon, we're gonna have to be fast... there's lots of walkers near the gate." Rick said. Kenny nodded while Clementine merely peered forward at the gate.

"Alright... go!" Rick barked. They raced to the gate, where a pretty woman with brown hair opened the gate. They all ran through. The woman had brown hair, blue eyes, pale skin, a brown, baggy shirt, dark brown skinny jeans, and dark brown leather boots with tiny belt straps to make sure they fit.

"Rick." She said with a slight country accent. She glanced at the newcomers with them.

"Hey, Maggie." He said in greeting.

"Who're the newcomers?" She asked wearily.

"This is Kenny, Clementine and AJ." Rick answered. Maggie looked at them, then noticed AJ and smiled.

"He's handsome... is he your brother?" She asked. "Adoptive son... his real parents are dead." Clementine said. Maggie frowned sympathetically.

"We've got another baby here- Judith- she lost her mother..." Maggie said. She gulped and looked away.

Rick looked down sadly. "Oh... I'm sorry." Clementine said. Kenny sighed, looking away. His expression then brightened.

"See, Clem? I told you there'd be other kids here!"

Clementine looked over at what Kenny was looking at, frowning, then went wide-eyed. Two girls, one with dirty-blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, blue eyes, and pale skin; she was wearing a light grey shirt along with black and red checkered flannel and a sleeveless jean-like jacket with flower designs on it. She wore a belt with golden weaving patterns.

The girl next to her looked very similar; however, she was shorter, had brown eyes, and appeared younger. She was wearing a cream colored mid-sleeve shirt that buttoned up at the top. It had a chest pocket on the left side. She was wearing blue jeans and small, black boots.

There was also another kid, standing off a bit, staring at her. He was wearing a cowboy hat, a brown flannel shirt, a light blue shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. He had brown hair.

What was it with the boots? Was it a trend nowadays so that people could look cool, yet easily stomp on walker heads?

Clementine gulped and hid behind Kenny a bit. The adults all got amused looks; kids being shy could just be very cute!

"Carl!" Rick called. The cowboy kid came running over. "Show these guys to their rooms, won't you? They're new." Rick said.

"I can see that." Carl said, eyeing them.

His eyes were piercing blue, just like Rick's. "Alright." Carl said, turning and leading the way into the prison.

"He always so obedient?" Kenny asked. "Nope." Rick said, smiling in amusement.

Kenny chuckled, following the two of them, and muttered, "Sounds just like you, Clem."

Clementine glared at him.

Carl led them to their cell; They shared the same one. Kenny set AJ down in a crib that was in there, smiling at the little goofball. "Hey, Kenny?" Clementine asked.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Do you think we'll ever see Lilly or Molly again? Or even Mike and Bonnie?" She asked.

"I don't know... by now, I wouldn't care about seeing Molly or Lilly again, but Mike and Bonnie? They left you to die!" Kenny exclaimed, looking at her.

Clementine looked away before speaking, "Mike wanted to make sure I was okay..."

Kenny sighed and looked away. "I have doubts, is all. I just don't know if we'll ever see Lilly, or Molly, or any of them again." He said. Clementine frowned, looking away. "Molly had a soft spot for you... and so did Lilly... That was a good quality to have. A soft spot for children." Kenny said, looking down at AJ with a smile. "Lilly was just... paranoid after her dad's death. I can't say I blame her. I don't blame Molly for doin' the things she did, also. Those Crawford sunsa bitches killed kids. Elderly. Sick." Kenny said with gritted teeth. "I'm hopin' these people are good. I mean, they have kids here, and Rick even mentioned a baby!" Kenny said, smiling.

"Yeah. I hope it's fine..." Clementine said, looking out at the cell block.

"Ima' go talk to people. Be social n' charmin'." Kenny said, smiling. Clementine looked at Kenny, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... okay?" She said.

"Could you keep an eye on AJ?" He asked.

"Sure." Clementine said, shrugging.

Kenny left the cell, probably to meet the people in the prison.

Clementine honestly didn't feel like being social; she felt as though she should confine herself, lock herself away from other people. They would probably end up dying anyways. She was honestly very lucky to have AJ and Kenny, she thought.

Yeah, she probably shouldn't get to attached.

"Clem?" A voice brought her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see a familiar face. Glenn!

"Glenn? Is that really you? Jeez!" Clementine exclaimed, standing up and looking him up and down with a smirk on her face.

"You should see yourself!" Glenn said, smiling. Maggie came by, smiling a bit.

"You gettin' to know the new girl?" She asked.

"Yeah, I actually new her before I met you... I met her at this drugstore! What happened to everyone? And how come Lee's not with you?" Glenn asked.

Clementine's smile faded and she recited, "You know what happened to Doug... after you left, we met someone, Mark, and he had lots of food... three months later, we were low on food, so we accepted an offer of food for gas by these St. John brothers. We also met this other kid, Ben. His other two friends died, soo..."

Maggie's eyes widened. "I knew the St. John family! They were family friends!" She said. Clementine gulped.

"They... uh... used Mark for food, threw us into a food locker... Larry had a heart attack, so Lee and Kenny killed him..."

By now, both Glenn and Maggie looked horrified. "Right in front of you...?" He asked. Clementine nodded her head.

"And, they went to find Duck and Katjaa- I don't really know what happened, but Lee killed one of them- Danny- by impaling him on a pitchfork, and he killed the other one, Andy, by kicking him into a generator powered fence..."

Maggie looked down, a shocked look on her face, while Glenn looked a bit concerned. "About a week or so later, these bandits that were harassing the dairy, they started attacking us, and Ben started trading with them... Lee found the bag, the bandits didn't get it because of that, and they attacked. We fled the motor inn, and Lilly kept pointing her finger at Ben and Carley. Kenny ran over a walker, so we had to stop... there was an argument, and Lilly killed Carley. We kept her with us and continued. Along the way, Lee told me the Duck was... bit." Clementine said, looking down sadly.

"Anyways, the next day we ran into a train, and Lee went to get something from the R.V we'd been using, and Lilly pushed him out and stole it. We... never heard from her again."

"I think I should mention," Glenn started, "That Lilly, she's... here." He said. Clementine's eyes widened.

"What- okay, let me finish my story first. Okay, so this homeless man, Chuck, came along. Lee, Kenny and Ben got the train started and we went to go to Savannah. We had to put Duck out of his misery. Katjaa was going to do it, but she... saw herself out. Kenny had to do it." Clementine said, looking down sadly. "After that, we met this couple, Omid and Christa... we talked to them, and Lee and I got a blowtorch together- although it didn't go so well. Anyways, the reason why we stopped in the first place was because of this tanker in the way, so we got it down and continued to Savannah. There were LOTS of walkers following us! Anyway, so we got to Savannah, and someone rang a bell and attracted a bunch of walkers... Chuck died trying to save me." Clementine whispered, looking down again.

"We went to look for boats, but there weren't any... there, we met this woman named Molly and learned about Crawford. Walkers came and she saved Kenny and I- Lee made his way through the sewers, meeting someone named Vernon. We raided this place, Crawford, with him, and Ben got left behind... we were going to look for my parents, but Savannah was too dangerous, so... we couldn't, and I... made a stupid choice." Clementine muttered, looking down. She crossed her arms.

"I ran away with a stranger i'd been talking to on my walkie... and Lee got bit, and I had to... to..." Clementine closed her eyes tightly, looking down so that the rim of her hat hid her face. "Anyways, I found Omid and Christa, and... that was that."


	3. Chapter 3

Glenn and Maggie looked at each other before looking back at Clementine. "I... think I should say, that there's also a woman named Molly here. Did she wield an ice pick?" Glenn asked.

"Yes!" Clementine said, astonished. "That's... oh my god..." Clementine murmured, looking down.

"Glenn! Maggie! Move outta the way!" A very familiar voice said.

"Speak of the devil..." Glenn muttered as Molly shouldered past them. She looked down at Clementine, her expression becoming shocked. Then she smirked and placed a hand on her hip.

"I must say, you look bad-ass." She said. Clementine smirked and crossed her arms, looking up at Molly with a devious expression. "Hey, where's your guard? Or, what was his name... Lee?"

Glenn and Maggie glanced at each other before Glenn spoke up, "He died." Molly's expression became blank as Clementine's expression became sad again.

"Oh... When...?" She asked.

"Right after you left." Clementine replied softly. "He... got bit, and he died saving me..." She murmured, hugging herself. Molly's expression became melancholic.

"That's a good way to go out... saving a little girl..." She said.

Glenn glanced away, frowning, before rolling his eyes. "I think Carl needs help... again..." He said.

"With what?" Molly asked, looking back at him.

"With Judith." Maggie finished. Clementine slid past them.

"I can help!" She exclaimed.

"Judith, please," Carl was begging. Clementine walked over to him.

"Uh, Carl, right?" She asked tentatively. Carl turned around.

"Yea." He replied.

"May I...?" She asked, looking at Judith. She looked as though she was itching to hold Judith.

"Sure." He said. He handed Judith to her, who was fussing. Clementine peered at her before smiling and speaking in a soothing, sweet voice. Judith stopped crying soon after and looked up at Clementine, a curious expression on her face. She then smiled and giggled sweetly. Clementine smiled and handed Judith back to an astonished Carl. "How'd you...?"

"I've got AJ, and another woman had a baby-" Clementine stopped abruptly, her eyes widening for a second before looking away. "Anyways, I know a bit about babies." She said.

Carl frowned and looked down at Judith. "She's mean to me." He whined.

"Boo-hoo." Clementine said boredly, looking around at the other people walking past.

Carl scowled. "Well aren't YOU charming." He muttered. Clementine looked back at him.

"Can't handle sarcasm?" She asked, quirking a brow.

"Well, I can, it's just kinda... rude. That's all."

"What, and you haven't ever met rude people before?"

"Wha- I have!" Carl defended himself. Clementine looked back out and turned, walking back to her cell.

"Wait! What's your name?" Carl asked. Clementine looked over her shoulder.

"It's Clementine." She said.

Carl nodded, looking down at Judith and smiling at her.

Clementine walked back into her cell to see AJ sleeping soundly. She smiled and carefully tucked him in, whispering, "Sleep tight, goofball."

Clementine perked up when she herd two familiar voices talking, approaching her cell. Kenny and Lilly. "...way... You mean everyone except you and Clementine is gone...?" Lilly was asking.

"Yeah... everything just went to shit. And for the record, it WAS Ben trading with those bandits." Kenny said. They both rounded the corner, looking at Clementine.

"There she is." Kenny commented, pointing at Clementine. Lilly looked at her and got a surprised look. Clementine merely stared back at her, a slightly astonished look on her face.

"Clementine...?" She asked slowly.

"I... Lilly... it's been so long..." Clementine whispered.

"Yeah, and... is that blood on your hat...?" She asked quietly.

Clementine looked down and answered, "It's Lee's blood."

Lilly's eyes widened. "And... he's gone now." She whispered. Clementine could only nod. Memories flashed before her eyes once again. Her dead parents. Lee and the stranger. Lee fainting... and Lee showing her the bite.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie..." Lilly whispered.

Clementine took a deep breath, looking up at her. "I... When I reunited with Kenny... I as so happy... and even though you killed Carley... i'm really glad to see you again." Clementine said, smiling a bit.

Lilly smiled also. "After my dad... I was paranoid." Lilly admitted. Clementine smiled a bit.

"It's... fine. That was the past." She said. Lilly smiled at Clementine.

"Have you met any of the other kids?" She asked.

"Uh... I met Carl. I don't think he likes sarcasm, though." She said, smirking a bit and rolling her eyes. Lilly smiled and chuckled.

"Yeah, he's really nice. He was never to fond of people who were rude or sarcastic, though." She said.

"I already picked up on that..." Clementine said, smirking a bit. Lilly shook her head, smiling.

"I wonder if you'd get along with the other kids?" Lilly wondered aloud, crossing her arms and looking down at her.

Clementine's eyes widened. "Uhh... i'm not good around other kids-"

"Nonsense, you'll be fine!" Kenny said, coming up to her and clapping her on the shoulder. Clementine gulped and sighed.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter." She said, crossing her arms.

* * *

After a few weeks, things had settled in for everyone; Kenny and Clem were both a big help to the prison members. Clementine didn't really get along with any of the other kids; it was beginning to make the parents of said kids worried. They all thought Clementine would snap at them, and Kenny thought they would try to hurt Clementine or something.

Clementine walked in the courtyard, carrying clean clothes to set on a table for people to claim. She inspected them, seeing that clothes that were once sweaty and dirty were now nice and clean. She had to give Carol credit for her ability to clean things so well.

Clementine yelped when a hard ball hit the right side of her waist. She spun around, seeing Patrick, Lizzie and Mika, along with another smaller kid that Clementine didn't know the name of.

"Oh, sorry Clem! Can you hand us the ball?" Mika asked. Clementine rolled her eyes and kicked the ball over to them. She'd been in soccer before, and she hated it. "Do you want to play with us when-"

"No."

She didn't want to risk getting too attached to people she knew would probably die.

Carl watched her as she walked over to the table, set the clothes down, and quickly went inside, probably to go see AJ. He sighed.

 _I don't understand why she won't open up. Did something happen?_ He thought.

Later, during night, Clementine sat outside on a chair, looking at the starry sky. There was this void inside of her; this void that seemed to grow and grow every time she saw kids with their parents and friends.

She didn't _have_ any real family left. She didn't have very many friends. Clementine knew that it was because she scared most of the people she met; they thought she was a 'loose cannon.' A danger to them.

She sighed, frowning a bit. "I miss you guys... and I don't know what to do... please forgive me for all i've done... most of you are dead because of me..." She whispered. "But please... help me... I can't seem to get over my fears and make friends..." She finished, looking down. A single, glistening tear ran down her face. Another thing was that most of her friends were gone... Because they'd died for her.

"Clem...?" She heard a familiar voice say from behind her. She froze, turning around and wiping her face quickly. It was Carl.

"What do you want?" She muttered.

"I... came to get a breath and heard you... and I heard you, asking your friends for help... they're in the stars, right?" He asked. Clementine scowled and looked away.

"What does it matter? And yes, they're... dead."

"It's alright... I lost lots of my friends also. I was friends with this girl, Sophia, and she... got bit." Carl said, coming up next to her. Clementine looked in the opposite direction. "And... for what it's worth, I think that you'll be alright." Carl said.

Clementine's shoulders slouched. She looked over at him, her eyes glowing with doubt. "Are you sure...?" She asked. Carl smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"Most of the other people here haven't been exposed to the world as much as you... I can understand not wanting to feel that same pain again. The pain of losing someone." Carl said. He looked out at the prison courtyard.

Clementine looked back at the stars before asking, "What happened to your mother? I mean, I know Rick is your dad, and Judith is your sister, but..." Clementine said, looking back at him. Carl stared for a moment before looking down.

"Maggie... had to cut her open to ensure the survival of Judith... I had to shoot her..." Carl whispered.

"Oh god..." Clementine whispered, shaking her head and looking down.

"What about your parents?" Carl asked.

Clementine gulped and spoke, "I went to Savannah with the group I started with... This man covered me and himself with walker guts and we walked through. I saw my parents. Dead." She murmured. Carl looked down at her, his eyes twinkling like the stars.

"I... I'm sorry." He murmured.

Clementine sighed. "I see you, Judith and your dad, and Maggie and Beth with Hershel, or Lizzie and Mika with their dad... my parents were dead right from the start." She said sadly.

Carl hesitantly reached up and placed his hand on her shoulder gently. She looked back at him. "A lot of the other kids are scared of you because they think you're ruthless and emotionless... maybe tomorrow you can try again and show them that you're not the heartless person they think you are." Carl said.

"What about with you?" Clementine asked. "I... I haven't been nice to you... I-"

"It's fine, really. I... think I can understand why." Carl said. Clementine smiled thankfully at him. "And besides... I wouldn't want to feel that same pain, either. But... to love someone like family... I think it's worth the pain." Carl murmured. Clementine looked down. He was right.

* * *

The next morning, Clementine was woken up by someone poking her back. She groaned and turned over, seeing Carl tilting his head curiously.

"You sleep with a stuffed animal?" He asked. Clementine's face flushed and she quickly hid her stuffed animal under the covers.

"I- uh-"

"It's fine!" Carl said, chuckling. Clementine peered over the rim of the bed and frowned.

"Where's AJ and Kenny?"

"Beth's taking care of AJ and Judith. Kenny's outside working." He said. Clementine shot up in her bed.

"Crap, what time is it?! Did I sleep in?!" She exclaimed.

"We both did." Carl said, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Anyways, dad wanted the two of us to work on the garden together. Get some weeds out or something, harvest, I don't know. So c'mon." He said. Clementine sighed before sliding out of bed and landing on the ground in front of Carl gracefully.

She looked up at him. "Lead the way." She said boredly. Carl turned and led the way out, walking past everyone. People muttered greetings to them as they walked by, busy with their own jobs and tasks at the moment.

When the two of them got out to the garden, they saw that Rick and Kenny were already working on the garden a bit. When Clementine got down there, she said, "Why didn't you wake me? We've got lots to do!"

Kenny chuckled. "I knew you were stargazin' all night. You needed to sleep." Kenny said. Clementine frowned.

"I wouldn't call it stargazing..." She muttered. Carl got to work on the garden, pulling out weeds and such, while Clementine carefully picked small vegetables, like green beans and peas.

When she got to the peas, she hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head and picking them, placing them in a bucket along with the green beans. Carl watched, raising an eyebrow, but deciding not to say anything.

When they finished, Clementine and Carl went to put today's harvest with the rest of the food. "Check on AJ, would ya?" Kenny called to Clementine.

"Alright!" She called back.

"He worries about AJ a lot." Carl commented. "I know. That's just who Kenny is... AJ and I are like his second shot at being a parent. He lost his only kid to a walker bite." Clementine said, frowning a bit.

Immediately, Carl thought of Sophia. She was so nice and sweet... Carl had _liked_ her. Did Kenny feel the same pain as Carol? Was it worse for one parent than the other?

Carl decided not to say anything about it, instead choosing to ponder over it.


	4. Chapter 4

When Carl and Clementine dropped the food off, Carl spoke, "So.. you wanna try to make up to the other kids now?" He asked, looking down at Clementine.

"Uhh..."

Before she could answer, screams rung out in the cell that Clementine KNEW AJ was in. She whirled around faster than the speed of light, racing towards the cell. There were walkers, roaming around, trying to get their hands on someone. "AJ!" Clementine shrieked. She ducked and dodged the walkers, getting to Beth's cell and finding AJ crying and a walker trying to get him. Clementine threw herself at the walker, grabbing it and using all of her strength to throw it out of the cell. She jumped at it, stabbing its head with a hunting knife she had.

She jumped back up, standing guard. Another walker lumbered over. Clementine took it out, throwing it down and stomping on its head. She pulled her gun out and aimed, shooting down other walkers. She noticed Glenn wrestling with one, so she shot the walker. It fell. Glenn looked at her, panting, and nodded to her. She nodded back and turned, yelping when a walker seemingly came out of nowhere and pushed her down. She held it away from her, reaching for her knife.

However, an arrow pierced its head and it went limp. Clementine closed her eyes and pursed her lips as the rotten blood splattered onto her face. She threw it off and looked, seeing Daryl. He walked over and held his arm out. She grabbed it and stood up. "Thanks..." She said breathlessly.

"Don't mention it." Daryl muttered, looking around.

All of the walkers seemed to be gone.

Clementine wiped her face off in disgust, turning and grabbing AJ. She set him on the bed and examined him. He was fine. He was still crying, though.

"Hey, goofball, it's okay... we're okay..." She whispered. She hummed to him, her hum sweet like honey. AJ stopped crying and looked up at her with a frown. "It's okay, goofball... they're gone." She said softly, picking him up and walking out of the cell. She looked around at all of the walkers, frowning before walking over to the group of people in there- Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Sasha, Bob, Tyreese, Carol, Lilly, Molly, and others.

"Clem, nice of you to join us... we were just sayin' that a virus killed Patrick." Rick said. Panic coursed through Clementine.

"You mean we're gonna get sick?!" She exclaimed.

"Relax, i'm sure we'll be fine!" Molly said, going over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"But... what if AJ gets sick? A walker tried to get him! I can't let him get sick! What will Kenny say? What if-"

"Clem. It'll be okay." Lilly said, walking over to and and placing a hand on her other shoulder. Clementine sighed, relaxing a bit.

"We need to quarantine those who've been exposed... We'll have them in another cell." Rick said. "Clem, AJ will be with you since you've both been exposed." Rick said to Clementine.

A bittersweet relief flooded through Clementine. At least AJ would still be with her.

They all went outside. Carl had ran outside to tell Kenny what'd happened. The two of them ran over. "No, Carl-" Rick began, holding his hand up. His son embraced him in a large hug. Kenny embraced Clementine and AJ, then pulled away.

"You're a good mama." Kenny said, smiling a bit.

Clementine smiled a bit, then frowned. "We've been exposed to a sickness..." Rick said, looking between Carl and Kenny.

"What?! How the fuck did that happen?!" Kenny exclaimed.

"It's because the pigs were sick." Rick said, putting his hands on his hips. Kenny scowled. "So, what're we gonna do?" He asked. "We're gonna quarantine those who've been exposed." He explained.

"That's bullshit!" Kenny exclaimed, tensing up.

"Kenny, it's for our own good!" Clementine said, feeling panic begin to rise. When Kenny was mad...

He sighed. "I know... just... you keep an eye on AJ, okay? If he gets sick, you take him to the doctor. You stay with him, alright?" Kenny asked. Clementine nodded. That's what she'd planned to do.

"I can't leave my little goofball alone..." She said, looking at AJ. He looked worried and confused. Kenny smiled.

* * *

Clementine walked into her temporary cell, slightly moping. She was exposed to a sickness. She'd get sick, and so would AJ, and there was nothing that could be done about it...

She shoved that out of her mind when AJ began fussing. She looked at him with a small frown. "What's wrong, goofball?" She asked, kneeling down beside the crib he was in. He merely shook his head and continued fussing.

Finally, he brought his hands up to his mouth.

"You hungry?" Clementine asked. AJ nodded. Clementine nodded and turned, grabbing a can of peaches and opening it. "Sit up, goofball." Clementine said. AJ dragged himself up, then lit up when he saw Clementine with a can of peaches and a fork in her hand.

Clementine fed AJ carefully, smiling. When he finished, he lay down, sleeping peacefully. Clementine watched him, smiling. She placed a hand on his cheek, gingerly rubbing it with her thumb, before turning and walking out of her cell, stretching. She decided that she'd grab a bite to eat, then she'd head back to her cell.

She glanced around, spotting a table with some snacks on it. She shrugged, walking over and inspecting the snacks, then grinned when she saw an apple, reaching and grabbing it. She loved the crunchiness of apples; the juiciness; the sweetness or the tartness; it was good to her. She'd always loved it when she got to eat apple pie or drink apple cider. They were always sweet and tasted good to her. She turned, taking a bite out of the apple, starting towards her cell.

She stopped when she heard a timid, "Hello."

She looked back, chewing on the bite of apple, and saw Mika. "Oh... hey." She said.

"I've... seen you around, but Lizzie's told me to stay away from you. She's asleep now, so I thought I could say hi." She said softly.

Clementine turned to her fully, looking down at her. "Well, hi." She said. "What did Lizzie say about me?" Clementine asked.

"She says you're cold, emotionless, heartless... but I know you're not. Lizzie, she's... not right in the head."

"Didn't Carl catch you two naming walkers one time?" Clementine asked.

"Lizzie made me do it- she thinks they're people. But... they're not." Mika said.

Just then, Lizzie called out, "Mika?" She came out of her cell, rubbing her face.

"Over here." She said, looking back at Clementine with a small frown.

"I don't think you're cold." She said as Lizzie came over.

"Mika, What're doing, talking to Clem?" She asked.

"I just wanted to get to know her." Mika said. Lizzie coughed, shaking her head.

"I told you... she's emotionless." She said.

Clementine stared blankly. Lizzie looked pale and sweaty. She asked, "Are you okay?" Lizzie looked at her, blinking slowly and shaking her head.

"I need to see Hershel..." She said hoarsely. Mika looked at her, her expression becoming surprised.

"C'mon, Lizzie, let's go..." Mika said. "Clem, can you-"

Everyone went completely silent when they heard a piercing cry. Mika and Lizzie both froze. It was half coughing, half crying. Clementine ran into her cell, seeing AJ. He looked pale. Clementine felt his forehead and found that he was very hot. Clem picked him and went outside, seeing Mika helping Lizzie to Hershel. Clementine turned walking to the cell where Hershel resided. It took a few moments, but she got there. She knocked on the door frantically, hoping Hershel would answer. Someone. Please.

The door opened to reveal a sick Glenn. "Where's- oh my god..." Clementine whispered as Lizzie and Mika walked into the room.

"Come on." He said, turning and slowly walking to a cell. He sounded terrible...

Clementine followed, along with Lizzie and Mika.

"Hershel." Glenn groaned, leaning into a cell. Hershel looked up from a someone, seeing Mika, Lizzie, Clementine and AJ. He got a concerned expression, standing up.

"Will you please take over?" Hershel asked. Glenn nodded weakly and walked over, grabbing a strange mask. and squeezing something every few seconds.

Hershel lead them to an empty cell, patting the bed. The three girls sat there, some space between them. "Lizzie and AJ?" Hershel asked. Clementine nodded.

Hershel checked Lizzie first, then AJ. He turned, leaving for a moment before coming back with some cups of tea. "Lizzie, drink this... can you try to make AJ drink this?" Hershel asked. Clementine nodded, taking a cup of tea. A warm, cinnamon- berry-like smell filled the room. Lizzie drank the tea gratefully.

Clementine turned, setting AJ down beside her. She held the warm tea up to him. He peered at it, then leaned forward, taking small sips of tea. He must've found it pleasing, because he started drinking it fully. Relief flooded Clementine.

AJ pulled away. "C'mon, goofball, you have to drink it all..." Clementine whispered, trying to coax him into drinking it again. She was able to get him to finish it.

He yawned, growing tired. Clementine used her sleeve to wipe the tea on his face away. Clementine held AJ against her, watching as he fell asleep. She looked at Hershel, her eyes pleading. "Please let me stay with him."

Hershel nodding, a silent understanding he felt. He couldn't make Clementine leave AJ.

* * *

Three days.

Three days was what it took for Clementine to get sick. And in three days, the group still wasn't back from the run. Clementine sat on the bed, swaying slightly. Lizzie sat on the floor against the wall. Mika lay on the bed, reading a book. AJ slept rather peacefully.

Clementine perked up when she heard a choked call for Hershel. She stood.

"Stay here..." She said to Lizzie and Mika. She turned, walking out of the cell. She grabbed the cell door, closing it.

"Please be careful." Mika said.

Clementine nodded once, turning. She perked up when she heard a familiar, dead groan. "GLENN!" She shouted, fast-walking to his cell. A walker was beginning to lean over him, and Glenn was coughing up blood. Clementine grabbed the walker, weakly pushing it away. It fell backwards, then stood up, growling at her angrily. Clementine stared up at the walker, her blood running cold. She had no weapons. But... Hershel did...

Clementine gulped. "C'mon, down here, you don't want Glenn, he's no good..." She said weakly, walking backward. The walker followed, its dead eyes on her. She heard glass shattering and Maggie's voice.

She couldn't let that distract her...

"And... DOWN THE STAIRS!" Clementine shouted, grabbing the walker and pulling him over to the stairs, pushing him down there. She panted, feeling light-headed...

Her throat began to itch uncontrollably...

She tasted blood...

The walker stood up, turning and slowly walking back up the stairs. Clementine backed away, coughing. "Get... away..." She said weakly, shaking her head. The walker suddenly seemed so much faster.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and the walker went limp, falling to the ground. Clementine wheezed, turning to the cell with Lizzie, Mika and AJ. The girls were watching, concerned looking.

Clementine panted, turning and seeing Sasha, Maggie and Hershel crowded in a cell. Clementine gulped and made her way to the cell. Sasha looked up and gasped, running over and grabbing Clem's shoulders. She brought her to the cell with the others. She then went to the cell with the other kids, getting them and bringing them to the cell.

Just one shot, one drink, one pill, and they were better, recovering.

* * *

"Hey, Clem, how're you holding up?" She heard Lilly ask. Clementine looked up from her bed and smiled.

"I'm feeling much better now." She told the woman. Lilly smiled.

"That's good to hear." She said.

Molly came up beside Lilly, smiling. "It's nice to see you two kids recovering." She said. Clementine turned onto her back, closing her eyes in bliss. She hadn't been this relaxed in a long time!

Kenny came up beside the two women, smiling. "You rest up, okay? And when you're feeling better, come see everyone- Carl's been really antsy." Kenny said, chuckling.

Molly grinned while Lilly rolled her eyes. "I think Carl likes you, kid." Molly said, leaning against the frame of the door. Clementine frowned.

"He wouldn't like me. He probably thinks i'm weird. All of the other kids do... well, except for Mika." Clementine said.

Did he really, though? Clementine thought about it, frowning. She remembered when he'd begged her to show people that she wasn't heartless. That there was more to her than meets the eye. Maybe he did care?


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Clementine slept in her bed, content. She didn't dream at all, but that was okay; it was a peaceful sleep. Her breathing was rhythmic and calming to anyone who came by to see how she was doing. She was able to tell whenever someone entered her room due to the fact that for a moment, a shape blocked the light from entering her room, casting a shadow over her. Just then, she a shadow passed over her, causing her to peek one eye open, seeing Beth pick AJ up and leave. She smiled to herself, snuggling into her bed for warmth.

After a while, Clementine got up, stretching to get all of the kinks out of her bones and went outside, happy to feel the warm rays on her face. She looked at the gate, then frowned, her blood running cold. There were two tanks outside of the fences with unfamiliar people gathered around it.

Clementine stared, a pit forming in her stomach and going up to the fence beside everyone. Rick was down there, talking to everyone. Daryl came up behind her, poking her in the back with the butt of a gun- a shot-gun. She looked over her shoulder and took it.

She stared, then went wide-eyed. Kenny was down there as his hostage, along with Hershel and Michonne. She couldn't lose Kenny, to. Not him.

Rick must've said something... Done something wrong... because one word carried above the wind. "Liar." That was it. That was the word. Clementine stared as the man raised his sword and cut Hershel's head. It was partially severed.

"NO!" Rick yelled. He took out his pistol, aiming it and shooting. Everything seemed to slow down as Clementine took aim, shooting down the person that was about to kill Kenny. Michonne got out, freeing Kenny as well. The man who had Michonne's sword severed Hershel's head completely, killing him.

Clementine saw something flying towards them and gasped. It was a grenade. It landed beside her. Clementine picked it back up, throwing it back over to the other side. They there was a chorus screams and people ducking.

Then, it the grenade exploded.

Clementine turned, running along the fence to the bus. She had to help people get on it. She did just that- helped people get on the bus, then turned, seeing one of the tanks plowing through the fences, the other following.

Then, a thought popped into her mind; AJ.

She turned, racing into the prison, searching, but she couldn't find them. Everyone was gone. She raced back outside, and saw that everything had completely changed. How long had she been in the prison? Shaking her head, Clementine took aim, shooting at walkers with the shotgun.

She heard the sound of a gun being shot behind her and turned, seeing Carl. "Clementine!" He yelled. Clementine rushed over to him.

"Where are the others?!" She exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Carl replied, shooting more walkers down.

The two of them stood, back to back, shooting down walkers. After a short while, Carl shot down a walker, revealing his dad behind it. He ran over and hugged him. "Where's Judith?" He croaked.

He was beaten up badly... He needed help. Clementine rushed over, supporting his left side while Carl supported his right side. "I don't know! Do you?" Carl asked desperately, looking at Clementine. "

"No, I couldn't find AJ either!" She said, feeling the same familiar pain tearing at her. But this time... it was much worse.

The three of them slowly made their way away, Carl and Clementine helping Rick. They found a crib, and... there was blood on it. A lump formed in Clementine's throat.

"Oh, no..." Rick whispered while Carl moaned. He turned, shooting down a walker, then shooting it multiple times. Rick restrained him and Carl let out a cry. "C'mon, Carl, we have to go..." He said. Clementine watched, silent, then went over to Rick again, helping him. Carl, Rick and Clementine made it out of the prison. Clementine looked back, misery forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Don't look back." Rick moaned.

* * *

Carl walked in front of them, his stride fast. He was mad. He was cold. He was upset. "Carl..." Rick croaked. However, Rick's voice was barely above a whisper. Carl surely heard him, however.

Clementine sighed. "Carl, please, slow down. Your father's hurt, and we need to save our energy-"

Carl whirled around, stopping. "What do YOU know? You're just cold and heartless and emotionless and you don't care about anyone but yourself! You'e never cared about anyone in your life!"

"What?! Carl, I'm sorry-"

"I bet Kenny really appreciated your sorry. Or AJ. Or even... Lee." Carl said.

"Carl!" Rick hissed.

"I bet you don't even know what real loss is! So just shut up!" Carl yelled.

Clementine remained silent for a moment before speaking up. "Do you know what it's like to lose your entire family?"

Carl shook his head slowly.

"It's worse than just losing a friend... It's... It's terrible... It's worse than dying." She whispered. "Carl... look at yourself. You still have a dad. You still have a family. I'm all alone. So please... just be quiet." She said, walking past Carl.

"And don't come after me!" She said over her shoulder. Carl stared, feeling quilt swell inside of me.

"You're leaving?!" He called. There was a hint of fear in his voice.

"I'll be back! Just worry about your dad!" She called back. She stole a quick look around, then ran off. Carl looked back at his dad, guilt on his face, and saw him staring blankly at him, before continuing.

"Come on."

Needless to say, Carl helped him.

A day later, they found a house to stay in, scavenging what they could. Carl tied a knot to the door while Rick pushed a couch in front of the door, collapsing on it to rest. The next day, Carl went into the living room, staring at his father.

"We couldn't save them..." He whispered. "Not Maggie... Sasha... Hershel... Glenn... Daryl...Michonne... Beth... Kenny... Lilly... Molly... Or Judith... Or mom..." He whispered. He let out a breath, looking down in disappointment.

"We couldn't save them... And if you die... I'll be all alone..." He whispered. He turned, looking over his shoulder. "I'm... gonna go on a run."

Carl went outside and around the house, seeing two walkers wandering by. He hid from their view, watching and trying to determine how to approach them.

Seems he didn't have to, as Clementine came out of nowhere and knocked one of them down, stomping on its head, and shoving the other one away, then kicking its leg, stabbing its head. Carl tilted his head, watching her as she stood up, glaring at the walkers, before sighing, shaking her head and turning, walking down the road slowly. Carl came out, following her quietly.

She was wearing a completely different outfit; she had a purplish-blue jacket on, along with a red scarf. He couldn't tell what shirt she was wearing because her jacket was zipped up.

She was wearing the same boots and pants, though.

Carl glanced at a house, tilting his head and forgetting about following Clementine. He went over to the house, trying to pick up a lamp post and pulled on it, succeeding with a 'snap.'

He stumbled back, shaking his head, and when he looked around, he saw that Clementine had stopped, giving him a 'what are you doing' look.

He sheepishly smiled and looked back at the door, taking his gun out. He perched himself and ran at the door, running into it. He knocked it open in one try. Carl smirked and walked into the house, looking around.

He entered the kitchen, opening the cupboards and taking out cans of food. He kneeled down, seeing a large can of something. He quirked a brow and pulled it out, then got a huge grin.

An entire can of chocolate pudding.

"Are you gonna share that?" He heard Clementine ask. Carl looked over his shoulder.

"It's a lot to eat by myself, so..." He said. Clementine smiled a bit.

Carl turned to her fully, setting the can of pudding on the counter. "What were you doing? I came out of the house dad and I found, and then I saw you come out of no where and kill two walkers." He said.

"I saw you hiding, cowboy, and I decided to help you out by killing them. I thought you would do something stupid. How's Rick?" She asked.

"He's out of it." Carl replied. "Hey... um... I'm sorry for what I said..." He said awkwardly. "I shouldn't have said that... it's probably one of the reasons you're cold." He said.

Clementine blinked before merely turning away, saying, "It's fine." She went upstairs. Carl turned, opening cupboards again, grabbing cans out of there. He heard knocks from upstairs and heard a door open, then a yelp.

There was groaning, then silence. She must've taken care of it. She came back down a moment later, a little winded, but otherwise fine. "What was up there? A walker?" Carl asked.

"Yeah, but I took care of it. I found something on the door that said, 'Walker got my shoe but not me'... people still have a sense of humor." Clementine said, smiling.

Carl smirked. "C'mon, we gotta find a place to eat this pudding." He said.

"How about on the roof?" Clementine suggested. Carl stared down at her before smiling.

"That sounds romantic..." He said weakly, his cheeks becoming dusted with pink.

"Sure, whatever. Cowboy." Clementine said, smiling sweetly at Carl.

He blushed madly; luckily, Clementine didn't see it. She walked upstairs, going to the room she must've found the walker in.

Carl stared at the dead walker, wrinkling his nose up. He was never fond of the way they looked of smelled. Clementine opened the window and crawled out, carefully making her way to the edge of the roof and sitting. Carl sat next to her. "Do you have a knife?" Carl asked. Clementine nodded, pulling a clean knife out and handing it to Carl. He opened the can of pudding and handed a spoon to Clementine. They both ate the pudding in silence.

When they finished the can, they simply dropped it and watched as it fell. They looked at each other, smiling.

When they got back to the house, they saw that Rick was still out. Clementine observed him, sighing. "He's badly injured... reminds me of this one time when Kenny and I were trapped by this madman named Carver. He got beaten up by him. That's how he lost his eye." Clementine said softly.

Carl frowned. "That's... terrible. That man who destroyed the prison? He was mad. He called himself the governor." Carl said.

"Sounds like Carver." Clementine commented.

That night, Carl watched as his dad continued to sleep while Clementine slept, her breathing soft and rhythmic. _She's so pretty_ , Carl thought with a blush.

He smiled, then jumped when he heard a raspy breath from his father. He looked at him and saw him moving, then he fell off of the couch. Carl scooted back, beginning to hyperventilate. Rick reached for Carl's foot, then grabbed it, whispering, "Carl... stay safe."

His head then fell down. Carl gasped, crawling over and resting his dad's head on his lap.

Clementine had opened one eye and watched, sadness coursing through her. Her parents were gone... And nothing would change that.

The next day, Rick and Carl sat, shoulder-to-shoulder next to the couch. Clementine was sitting at the table, leaning forward and resting her head on her crossed arms. It was nice to hear Rick and Carl talking.

There was a knock on the door, and Rick jumped up, peering out of the peephole, then grinned, chuckling a bit. "It's.. for you." He said, looking at Carl. Carl tilted his head, frowning in confusion before turning, walking outside.

He came back a moment later, grinning giddily. Michonne was following him. Clementine looked at Michonne, smiling slightly. The four of them socialized for a while. The next day, Carl, Clementine, and Michonne decided to go on a run, leaving Rick as he was injured and needed to rest.

* * *

 **Hello! Thanks for reading my fanfiction! While this is my first story on fanfiction, it's not my first story in general... I'm going to upload my other fanfiction as soon as i'm finished with this one. That may be a while, so please stay tuned! Constructive criticism is welcome!**


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